Hello all! So I just finished a partial restore of a 175A, got it on the road pushing snow the other day and blew a hose to passenger steering cylinder. of course lost all my fluid.. I recall the steering to the right being harder than usual and assumed it was a bit cold. but then the line bust. Got the new line on today , new hydro filter too. (there was some ice at the bottom) and filled er up and Steering is better but still seems much more resistance steering to the right than to the left. whats my best way to find the problem IE: steering gear, or steering pump, or cylinders or valve. Would just like to know easiest and best place to start if anyone could shed some light id be much obliged. cheers Tarik
Pretty nice looking. This is a common complaint on non articulated machines. The steering system only uses one cylinder, consequently the force created by the cylinder is different for both directions. The area of the rod lessens the force created by that end. Sooo the force required to turn is different also.
its got a cylinder on either side... not sure if they both push both ways tho. they both are 2 hose cylinders (double acting) when I turn to the left, does one push out and the other pull in with pressure or is it just coming in due to the force of the other one turning out? seems to push to the right is straining it but it has no prob coming back to center....
Not that familiar with the steering like your machine but on all the articulated machines if you follow the lines to the two cylinders you can see that the line from the barrel end of one cylinder connect to the rod end of the other cylinder. Kind of like an "X". So if you have two cylinders I would have to guess they are connected the same way. Might be best to trace out the lines going to the steering cylinders and make a sketch of the plumbing and post it. Is there any easy way to connect a pressure gauge in the lines from the steering valve, one for the right turn and one for the left turn to see if the pressures are the same? Could Tee in to on line at a time if only one gauge is available. I would think a machine of that age would have at the most 2,000 psi in that circuit.
Agreed with what kshansen has mentioned. Does your frame have an articulation lock? This may help in troubleshooting.
ok thanks for the input, Ill post a diagram and its a non articulating machine..
heres from the parts book but there are two "steering boosters" one on each side, Ill get out and draw it this morn
Something like this? Not the same machine obviously, but reading your discription made me think of how the grader steering is set up with 3 lines per cylinder.
Question, are there 2 pumps or only 1, according to the parts list there is only one pump and one cylinder (booster). If you had two cylinders it should list it that way. Is there more to the breakdown than what is shown? Follow the piping on the opposite side and see how it is plumbed. If you have a weak cylinder (bad packings) it would act that way if you have two cylinders. Also watch the control valve (where number 8 is pointing) as the steering wheel is being turned and see if it is being shifted. Sometimes the springs break in the rod ends and this prevents the valve from shifting properly.
there is one pump, two cylinders I will verify plumbing asap. I think its prob a packing , but wanna make sure. will look at control valve , but not sure where that is....8 is pointing to cylinder isnt it? thanks for yo time BillG
The cylinder and valve are connected together. The porting is from the hoses to the valve then to the cylinder when you turn the steering wheel. The steering box moves the pitman arm which in turn moves the drag link which in turn shifts the valve (8).
gotcha, thanks
Very interested in this thread, as I have a 280 wheel dozer of about the same vintage. A few months ago I blew a steering hose while back blading my driveway. It is amazing how fast it pumps out hydraulic oil! After the hose blew, I had to drive it about 100 feet to get off of the driveway, spewing oil the whole time. I have owned my machine for close to 20 years, and it seems like it steered easier back when I bought it. It steers OK until I put downward pressure on the blade (transferring more weight to the steering axle). I have been wondering what the issue is. Whether it is a hydraulic issue, or an issue with the bearings which allow the wheels to pivot. BTW, I know that the hoses are OLD on my machine, and that is probably the main reason for one failing, but the steering effort seems pretty stiff.
so I replaced the hose, and got her back to a good parking spot. she still steered stiffer to one side than the other. I assumed I need a new cylinder on one side. was still -10C when I moved her. I was going to wait for warmer weather to work on A few weeks later I moved her around the yard when it was above freezing. The steering was FINE! so I assumed what ever ice or whatnot was stopping the cylinder from acting normally had passed back to the filter... Yesterday in sub zero temps i worked her a bit and the steering problem is back. Its stiff to turn to the left and back to center on that side, fine the other side. I am back to assuming im bypassing on the left side steer cylinder or have water in my steering gear possibly? or somewhere thats hindering performance. Either way I have to sort it out, but problem is , when its warm enough to work on, the problem is gone!